Central America

El Salvador is the first country in the Americas in terms of tourism growth

September 26 |

The momentum of the Salvadoran waves was the beginning of an unprecedented tourism takeoff in the history of El Salvador, which was consolidated at the close of 2022 with more than 2.5 million international visitor arrivals, a figure that even surpassed the dynamics that the country maintained in 2019 before the COVID- 19 pandemic.

The country’s good performance attributed to the Surf City anchor strategy, international positioning actions, the potential of tourist destinations, the positive figure of President Nayib Bukele in the world, and state security strategies implemented through the Territorial Control Plan (PTC) were reflected in the latest measurement of the World Tourism Barometer of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).

The projection of international visitors by the end of 2023 is 2.9 million. Photo: El Salvador Newspaper.
The measurement reflected that El Salvador is the fourth nation in the world with the best performance in the growth of international tourist arrivals with 32% until July 2023, compared to what it registered in the same period of 2019.

The country is only behind the dynamics reflected by nations such as Qatar, which reports an increase of 95 %; Saudi Arabia with 58 %; and Albania with 56 %, when compared to its pre-pandemic metrics.

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In this order, El Salvador also becomes the country with the best performance in the American continent and the Western Hemisphere surpassing important destinations and countries of tourist tradition, noted President Bukele through the social network X, formerly Twitter.

“El Salvador is the fourth country with the highest tourism growth in the world and the destination that has grown the most in the entire Western Hemisphere,” the president celebrated.

The new security conditions have been an incentive to attract more foreigners to visit El Salvador. Photo: El Salvador Newspaper.
The list also highlights the performance of Andorra whose reception of international tourists increased by 31%; Armenia with 30%; Ethiopia with 28%; Colombia and Jordan with 23%; U.S. Virgin Islands with 22%; Tanzania and Liechtenstein with 19%; Curacao with 18%; while Honduras and Dominican Republic grew by 17%.

The barometer highlights that international tourism has continued to recover from the worst crisis in its history, as overall international tourist arrivals reached 84 % of pre-pandemic levels between January and July this year.

“By the end of July, international tourist arrivals reached 84% of pre-pandemic levels and 700 million tourists traveled internationally between January and July 2023, up 43% from the same months in 2022,” UNWTO noted.

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At the beginning of this year, Mitur estimated that by 2023 more than 2.9 million foreign visitors would enter the national territory, however, data closed up to August account for more than 2.2 million arrivals, and a greater boom is expected with events such as: the Miss Universe pageant, scheduled for November; and two surfing championships in the months of September and November, among other activities.

“According to our projections we are not going to have any low season month, but rather visitors are going to keep coming thanks to surf tournaments, business events and the Miss Universe that is scheduled for the end of the year”, commented the Minister of Tourism, Morena Valdez, recently.

Meanwhile, the foreign exchange projection for the end of the year is $2.9 billion, and up to August the registered spill over was $2.1 billion in tourism dynamics.

Central America

Costa Rica Goes to the Polls as Voters Choose Continuity or Change

Costa Ricans head to the polls today to elect the president of the republic and 57 members of the Legislative Assembly for the 2026–2030 term. Voters must choose between continuing the political project of outgoing President Rodrigo Chaves by supporting the ruling right-wing candidate Laura Fernández, or opting for a change in direction proposed by the opposition.

Fernández, representing the Pueblo Soberano Party (PPS), leads opinion polls with close to 40% of voting intention, bolstered by the outgoing president’s approval rating, which exceeds 50%. Chaves is barred from seeking immediate re-election under Costa Rican law.

Trailing far behind is Álvaro Ramos of the National Liberation Party (PLN), with less than 10% support. He is followed by Claudia Dobles of the Citizen Agenda Coalition (CAC), Fabricio Alvarado of New Republic (NR), and Ariel Robles of the Broad Front (FA), each polling between 3% and 5%. Undecided voters, who account for more than 30% of the electorate, could determine the outcome of the presidential race or force a runoff.

In a statement, Costa Rica’s Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) reaffirmed its commitment to transparent and secure elections. “As has been the case for more than 76 years of democratic life in our country, the Supreme Electoral Tribunal guarantees all Costa Ricans that the national elections to be held this Sunday, February 1, will meet the highest standards of security and absolute transparency, allowing us to continue enjoying electoral processes in peace and freedom,” the institution said.

Authorities reported that 53,251 party observers will take part in the electoral process. Of these, 12,472 belong to the Social Christian Unity Party, 11,524 to Pueblo Soberano, 10,451 to the PLN, and 4,141 to the Citizen Agenda Coalition, among others. In addition, six political parties have sworn in 7,520 members of polling station boardsdeployed nationwide.

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Central America

U.S. and Guatemala Sign Trade Deal Granting Zero Tariffs to Most Exports

The United States signed a reciprocal trade agreement with Guatemala on Friday, under which 70.4% of Guatemalan exports will enter the U.S. market tariff-free.

Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo highlighted the importance of the agreement, stating that it creates a framework of cooperation, certainty, and new opportunities for producers, workers, and entrepreneurs in the country. His remarks were shared in a video published on his official social media channels.

In 2025, 30.3% of Guatemala’s total exports were destined for the United States, amounting to approximately $4.3 billion. As a result, the agreement is expected to directly benefit key sectors of the Guatemalan economy, including agribusiness, manufacturing, and the textile industry.

“Today we have taken another step toward consolidating a country that, when it moves forward united, generates confidence, attracts investment, and creates real development opportunities for all its people,” Arévalo added.

The agreement with Guatemala follows a similar trade deal signed by the United States with El Salvador on Thursday, which includes the elimination of a 10% tariff on Salvadoran imports.

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Central America

Panama Supreme Court Strikes Down Panama Ports Concession as Unconstitutional

Panama’s Supreme Court of Justice has ruled unconstitutional the concession contract granted in 1997 to Panama Ports Company (PPC), a subsidiary of the Chinese conglomerate CK Hutchison, which operates two strategic ports along the interoceanic canal. The decision was announced on Thursday, January 29, 2026, following two lawsuits filed by the Comptroller General’s Office.

The ruling directly affects the management of the ports of Balboa, on the Pacific coast, and Cristóbal, on the Atlantic side, both of which have been operated by the company for nearly three decades. According to Panama’s Comptroller General, Anel Flores, an audit uncovered irregularities in the contract that resulted in more than $1.3 billion failing to enter state coffers.

“It is a predatory contract, abusive to the interests of the country,” Flores stated.

The Supreme Court determined that Law 5 of 1997, its subsequent amendments, and the automatic extension granted in 2021 are unconstitutional. The ruling noted that the contract renewal took place without adequate oversight and amid allegations of corruption, despite the Panamanian state holding only a 10% stake in the company.